Before Earth
by Loquaciosaur
Summary: Kara's life before she came to Earth. AU from the show, or any other single source for that matter, but cribbing elements from various comic, TV, and movie iterations of Krypton. Rated M, to be safe, for violence and character death in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Explorers

CHAPTER 1: EXPLORERS

* * *

"After general Var was able to arm and incite Daxam's slave population to insurrection, the tide of the war swiftly turned in our favor. Unable to mount sufficient forces to repel both our warships and the guerilla attacks behind their lines, the royal family was forced to surrender and accept the terms of the treatise." The blue-robed instructor, an elderly woman who had long since retired her position as a Judicator for the classroom, dismissed the battle holograms with a flick of her wrist. Turning to the concentric circles of six and seven year olds kneeling on mats around her as the rooms previously dimmed lights flared back up, she raised the index finger of her left hand.

"_However_, Daxam was not the only planet to make major overhauls to their societal structure in the aftermath of the war. Who can tell me what was the most significant change effected here on Krypton?"

"The High Council decommissioned all spacecraft and banned their construction, Professor Lum!" A wiry boy in a red tunic promptly responded.

"Correct, Mr. Jak. Trust a trainee of the Technician's Guild to know when an entire engineering industry closed, yes?" A ripple of subdued giggles went through the students as Briz Quag-Lum continued.

"In light of the Council's new legislature, the Explorer's Guild was dissolved and its members given the opportunity to pledge another. Most transferred to the Military or Technicians where their skills could be easily applied but a nominal percentage joined the Religious or Artisans Guilds, whose members they found most relatable, all being born of genetic templates free of any emotive regulators." A number of gold-clad novitiates and apprentices in purple grinned openly at that description.

"It was not until a mere seven years ago, nearly two centuries after the conclusion of the wars, that a measure passed to add the Explorer template back into the codex that a new generation might be born to reestablish Krypton's seventh guild." Professor Lum continued, her gaze falling on a trio of students sitting together in emerald garb.

"We have three such novices in our class today, in fact. Mr. Ur," The dark-skinned boy with close-cropped curly black hair on the right's brown eyes twinkled as he offered a small, closed-lip smile.

"Ms. El," The pale-skinned girl in the middle dropped her blue eyes to her lap, bowing her head slightly to hide shyly behind her long blonde tresses.

"And Ms. Var, a direct descendent of the general himself," The tan girl's emerald gaze met the teacher's squarely as she gave a short nod, rustling the strands of her bob-cut red hair.

* * *

"Why do they always _do_ that?" Kara grumped as the students filed out after dismissal. It seemed as though, everywhere they went, the Explorer novices were singled out. At least today she had Thara and Kell with her. It was even more embarrassing when she was the only one in the class. Or worse, when it had been just her and Dev a couple times. She didn't want everyone to think _they_ were together. _No one_ liked Dev. He was a bully.

"Maybe they just want us to feel included," Kell offered with a shrug, "You know, because there aren't a lot of us and we don't have any grown-ups in our guild yet?"

"Including would mean treating us like all the other kids," Kara argued, "no one else gets named unless its for a question or assignment!"

"My father says everyone is proud of us," Thara stated firmly, hand dropping down to hold her friend's. Interlocking their fingers, she gave a small squeeze.

"We're going to take Krypton back into the stars, you know."

"Only the top thirty-three percent," came the blonde's nervous counter, "there have to be people here on Krypton to establish the new guild. Only the _best_ will be on the maiden voyage."

"That will be us," the redhead answered without hesitation, face lighting up at the idea.

"Definitely," agreed Kell with excitement, "the three of us can do it! What's your family's motto, Kara?"

"Stronger together," and she finally returned her friends' grins.


	2. Chapter 2: Black Zero

CHAPTER 2: BLACK ZERO

* * *

The sky was pure scarlet, barely distinguishable in its sunset hues from the last visible arc of Rao's crimson orb disappearing behind the horizon. Classes done for the day, Kara had traded out her green guild-stamped tunic and leggings for a more comfortable white gown marked only with her family's crest. By contrast, the woman whose side she was curled comfortably into in the balcony seat they shared was still in her pressed black military uniform, having come to visit her niece directly after her detail.

"Beautiful, isn't it, little one?" Astra spoke without taking her gaze off the skyline. The young girl beside her, by contrast, was more focused on her aunt however. She bit her lip as she eyed the ivory strand amidst the brunette waves which framed the face so nearly identical to her mother's own. She'd always been curious, just never worked up the courage. Her hesitation lasted long enough to earn a glance down from the older woman.

"Kara, what is it?" A dimple appeared between her brows momentarily before she looked back to the sunset.

"Um…" The child too returned to observing the play of light as day turned to night. Why was she so nervous? Her aunt, despite being twins, did not stand on etiquette like her mother. She always answered Kara's questions, always had time to explain. Astra never dismissed, evaded, or was too busy like the young blonde's father.

"Aunt Astra, why i-" but the questioned died in her throat as wringing hands suddenly flew up to shield her eyes from a flash that momentarily eclipsed Rao's dying light. Blinking through spotting vision and peering through splayed fingers, Kara saw too what followed it. A distant racing-outward ring of energy, suddenly collapsing back in on itself. Then a plume of fire and smoke. A sight the girl had only ever seen in historical feeds: plasma charge, followed by an implosive ion wave, then the full combustion.

A bomb had just exploded on Krypton for the first time in generations.

It had been hard to get the words out for Kara's previous question. Now, whipping around with caught breath and hammering heart, she didn't even know _what_ to ask. Her aunts eyeline was still fixed on the horizon, features frozen in knee-jerk militant stoicism. She almost looked serene, by contrast to the gaping child's strained, creased, and trembling features. For a heartbeat, they remained that way, Astra staring at the distant signs of destruction and Kara at her. Kelex broke their reverie.

"Mistress In-Ze! Miss El! I must insist you come inside at once!" The gleaming golden droid whirred through the air onto the balcony, its automated speech sounding more organic than Kara had ever heard before in its urgency.

"There has been an attack on the capital! Emergency protocols dictate I lock down the compound!"

And then Astra was moving. She scooped Kara up, rose from her seat, and turned to follow the automaton in one fluid motion: the trained soldier eclipsing the doting aunt. While her aunt's mind focused into tactical action, the blonde's in her arms was racing. The capital..? That meant the bomb had been set off in Kandor! Even a seven-year-old could guess the most obvious target to be the Council's Spire. That was where sentences were passed and there was a trial today, Kara knew because that was why her…

"Mother!" The girl finally found her voice as crystalline prongs sheathed the portal behind them, similar teeth barring each window and replacing the natural light with their own inner glow. She clutched at her aunt's collar frantically, vision blurring as her eyes pricked with tears of terror.

"Aunt Astra, mother is in… in…" Another horrifying thought suddenly entered the girl's mind.

"And Thara! She… they… the Vars live in Kandor t-too!" And now the tears were flowing freely as Kara's voice broke on the last word, the first gasp of frightened sobs stealing her breath. Her aunt clutched her closer.

"Shh, shh… little one, do not fear the worst," softly crooning; and then, to the droid, in a General's sharp bark of command:

"Kellex, hail both my sister and Ak-Var immediately!"

When the two holographic figures flared into life, a blue-robed near-mirror of the woman who had contacted them and an ebony-uniformed man with a mane and full beard of hair as red as his daughter's, both Astra and her niece finally released a breath they'd each held in the interim: the aunt in a quiet sigh of confirmation and Kara in a choked sob or relief. Alura spoke first, immediately moving to reassure her daughter.

"Do not be afraid, dear one. I and the Council are unharmed. You are safe at home; your aunt will stay with you… unless…" She glanced towards the other hologram but the bearded man shook his head wearily.

"We're still compiling reports from the on-scene units. I doubt there will be sufficient intel to call in the command structure until at least tomorrow. Unt-"

"I-is…" Kara interjected.

"Thara and Tes are both safe." Ak-Var reassured and the girl nodded mutely, chin still quivering.

"Thank Rao," both Alura and Astra breathed out softly in unison, as the twins were wont to do, but the small smirk they usually exchanged at such instances was more grimace today. Her aunt gave Kara a soft squeeze at the good news and her mother spoke once more directly to the blond.

"Your father is on his way home now and I will join you as soon as is feasible, my daughter. I lo-" But the sentiment was cut short as the visages of both Alura and Ak-Var warped, pixelated, and coalesced instead into a solitary figure of indeterminate gender within its' full combat armor. An old-Kryptonese symbol was emblazoned in midnight alloy on their chest, but it was not the crest of any house or guild. It was just a word, the character for nothingness: absolute absence.

"My apologies but this message is broadcasting on all channels and overriding any other signa-" but Kelex abruptly halted its explanation as the hologram began to speak from behind the fully-tinted energy shield of its helm.

"Democracy on Krypton has become nothing more than an advertisement, a hollow facade, while those in power conceal truths about the entirety of our world and make unilateral decisions which affect us all. Today was our first strike but it will not be our last. Not until the High Council is terminated, the Guild system abolished, and the Codex destroyed. We are the voice of the people, too long erased and silenced, too long kept in the dark and made invisible."

The image changed in a snap, now showing a rotating three-dimensional digital rendering of the symbol previously on the chest-plate of the figure which had just vanished. Their voice remained however:

"We are Black Zero."


End file.
